1994 fuel leak is still costing Lebanon Township

LEBANON TWP. — For nearly two decades, the township has had to test the ground water near the fire house on Anthony Road.

A leaky underground gas tank that was removed from the site in 1994 had contaminated the area's soil, and the township has been responsible for decontamination and testing of the groundwater there ever since.

At the Jan. 16 meeting the Township Committee accepted a proposal from Quest Environmental to continue the required testing while taking steps to hopefully limit or eliminate what will have to be done in the future.

The spill site is near Fire Station 1 on Anthony Road.

The testing and work to convince the DEP it will no longer be needed could cost as much as $25,000 this year.

The same question came up in 2006 and again in 2011 when the company was hired to continue the testing decided not to seek renewal of its contract.

The contamination from the leaky gas tank had contaminated the ground down into the aquifer, spoiling the station's well water and that of a neighboring house. The township replaced both wells and installed filters and monitoring equipment to assure that the new wells' water remains potable. In addition, the state Department of Environmental Protection has required the township to maintain "testing wells," to perform lab tests on the water semiannually, and to submit an official annual report.

The testing has shown that the contamination has not spread any further.